The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Air Commodore (Retd) Zahed Kuddus has been made Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited.

Ending all speculations regarding appointment of a highly professional person to run the national flag carrier competitively, the Board of Directors of Biman yesterday appointed the retired Airforce officer.

Zahed Kuddus was the Air Officer Commanding (Base Commander) of the Operational Flying Bases, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Administration) of the BAF and Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Biman, in response to its advertisement for appointment of the CEO, received some 24 applications including two from foreign nationals.

Most of the locals who applied for the post were ex-officials of Biman and were blamed for being involved in massive corruption that led to its ruination.

The short listed four persons, Group Captain (Retd) Liakat Ali, Group Captain (Retd) S Jilani Mahbubur Rahman, Col (Retd) Zainul Abedin and Vice president of GMG Airlines Ismail Hossain were called in for interview after scrutiny of their resume on June 5.

Earlier, some 2,500 officials and employees of Biman were retrenched through voluntary retirement after Biman was transformed into a public limited company in July 2007.

After the retrenchment of so many officials and employees, Biman was supposed to be run by persons who have vast experiences in aviation business.

In order to free the Biman from bureaucratic administration, experts were supposed to be appointed by the government. However, no progress was made in this regard at all.

Currently, the national flag carrier has only four aircraft at its disposal to operate on 17 international routes though it has Air Service Agreements with 42 countries.

Biman was bedevilled by corruption, overstaffing and operational losses as it was forced to open new routes by previous governments on political considerations neglecting the obligation of good management.

According to a recent study report of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) corruption involving US$ 45 million took place only in the process of taking up lease of aircraft in the last five years.

TIB said no audit has been carried out or assessment of the assets and liabilities of Biman made before turning it into a public limited company.

In its study, the TIB recommended eliminating the prevailing 'dual policy' in Biman's operational structure and not appointing any bureaucrats as the chairman of the Biman's board of directors.

TIB chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said Biman would be able to make profit within a short time, if it can get rid of corruption.

The Government, however, is looking for a strategic partner to run and manage state-owned airline Biman, special assistant for civil aviation Mahbub Jamil informed yesterday.

"We have taken steps to run Biman by a foreign airline through a partnership and that airline can opt for a stake in Biman or just take responsibility for management," he told reporters after appointment of the new MD.

Jamil, however, said a new CEO was likely to be appointed if an airline took over the management adding, "a chief executive may be hired from abroad once Biman goes into international partnership."

"Air Commodore Kuddus showed his ability as a manager in the past. We hope Biman will run well under his leadership," the special assistant said.

On plans to find a management partner, Jamil referred to the Thai Airlines, which he said had been haemorrhaging heavily before being handed to a strategic partner. "They have done very well since then."